Any thoughts on how the overtaking of bikes by four-wheeling vehicles will be handled? Is there any kind of a warning system? Any worries about safety in that regard?

Our plan is to start the cars hours after the bikes, and split some of the stages towards the end so bikes and cars are on different tracks. We may also make the car course a bit longer than the bike course to add to the separation.

Also, some of the stages will be mostly dunes and HP towards the end if not the full length. In those cases you won't be stuck on a road with a berm or cliff on each side. So, any car that might be approaching would likely be taking their own path that doesn't coincide with yours, and they have the freedom to go well around you. In addition, it's tough to make dust in sand, so visibility in most areas should be excellent.

Will entry fee and registration date be posted anytime soon....maybe that's already been answered and if so please excuse the question. I'm also looking into the Baja Rally but I can't swing both. I like how this one is sounding and cars add some more excitement and drama!

Will entry fee and registration date be posted anytime soon....maybe that's already been answered and if so please excuse the question. I'm also looking into the Baja Rally but I can't swing both. I like how this one is sounding and cars add some more excitement and drama!

The entry fee should be announced soon, and will likely be similar to Baja Rally and NORRA 1000 rally. I'm less sure when registration will open, likely later rather than sooner.

We have yet to finalize the routes for each stage, but we can give you an idea how it's looking as of right now (end of October). The longest stage may be approximately 220 miles (350km). We have plans to have a moto/quad mandatory "neutralized" 15 minute gas stop at approximately the half-way point. So, motos/quads need a gas range of something over 110 miles (177km). BUT, parts of each stage are in dunes, which require far more gas than normal. So, we feel you should have a standard gas range of at least 155 miles (250km) in order to make it 110 miles with some dunes and small navigation errors. As the routes are refined over the coming months, we'll update this gas range notice. So be sure to check back in here to see what the latest news is.

We expect 155 mile range may be more than some motos/quads can make. We're considering additional gas stops "on the clock" for those who can't make 155 miles.

UTV's, cars, and trucks, should be prepared to go the full length of the longest stage on one tank of gas. Considering the dunes, that means you should have a range of at least 310 miles. We expect that may be too far for some of you, so we're working on a plan to allow a mid-stage gas stop for you. This would not be a place where your crew would pit you. It would be manned by Diabolico personnel only, and race crews would not be allowed in the area. Since this is a standard cross-country rally, mid-stage pitting by crew is not allowed at all.

I think it's AWESOME that HogWild is modeling this so closely after FIM-style rallies!

It's not just me. Darren Skilton is my partner in this, and he's raced Dakar 10 times, plus several other rallies. He has won his class in Dakar several times, so he knows his stuff! His vision is very much the same as mine for Diabolico. We want to give you all a true taste of Dakar, at a price almost anyone can afford.

Here are some photos from our latest prerun, we've got quite a crew of helpers and equipment.

The guy who brought the pickup owns an ejido over 50 miles long, right in the heart of our event. I took him places on his property he'd never been. His dad told him "don't go out there, you'll never make it back". We went "out there"!

The right tool for the job:

Here we are arguing about where we were. The Spanish guy with the silver hair has raced Dakar even more times that Darren. He's an expert navigator. He kept telling me I didn't know where my own course went, and that he knew better than me, if I'd just let him see my map. He had some serious confidence!

Here we are arguing about where we were. The Spanish guy with the silver hair has raced Dakar even more times that Darren. He's an expert navigator. He kept telling me I didn't know where my own course went, and that he knew better than me, if I'd just let him see my map. He had some serious confidence!

I just had to laugh at this... all this experience and knowledge and Scott still won't let them see his top secret maps!
the legend continues